Ice cutting device



March 4, 1941. w. c. PFEIL I ICE CUTTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 3, 1940 2Sheets-Sheet l March 4, 1941. w. c. PFEIL ICE CUTTING DEVICE Filed Aug.3, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 L IIL Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES?ATENT OFFIE 17 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and novel device for cubing ice and moreparticularly to a device of this type adapted for use as a hand toolcapable of conveniently and quickly producing small quantities of icecubes when desired.

Ice cubing machines are well known but they are large, relativelyexpensive and produce quantities greatly in excess of the requirementsof many users of cubed ice. Although electrically heated machines havebeen suggested which may be readily used wherever electric current ispresent, they have been unsuccessful because they are too slow inoperation and the wires constantly break at the point where they arecooled by contact with the ice as well as chilled as Soon as touched bythe ice. This results in periodic heating and chilling and a slowing upof the operation. Where heated fluid has been used, a ready source ofsupply sufiicient to operate the machine has not always been available,and consequently, the expense of securing the source has increased thecost of installation. Where a considerable quantity of cubes are used,the additional cost has not been a problem, because a machine heated bya fluid medium operates more eflicientiy and rapidly, and providesregularly formed cubes. However, many users of cubed ice cannot affordthe cost of either the machine or the additional cost of a source ofsupply and are forced topurchase their requirements in small quantitiesalready cubed and at a relatively high price.

An object of this invention is to provide an ice cubing device in theform of a hand tool adapted to meet the requirements of users of smallquantities of cubed ice, the same being designed for quick attachment toa generally available hot water spigot or equivalent source of heatsupply whereby the cutting elements will be quickly and adequatelyheated to eil'ect a quick cutting operation by melting the ice, the toolbeing constructed so that it maybe easily used and made available foroperation at any convenient location for the block of ice.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of this typethat may be provided as a hand tool capable of ready and easy use andassure uniform cutting so that the cubes will be uniform in size and theuniformity of the cake of ice being cut maintained as said cubes are cuttherefrom so that the cake will not be deshaped to cause Waste or createdifliculty in securing uniform cubes during subsequent operations.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of thistype that may produce a cut of uniform depth throughout the area of thecut for each operation so that all the cubes will be of the same sizeand will not be smaller or larger at opposite ends because the toolcould not be forced to cut into the ice with the same pressurethroughout the area of the out.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hand tool of the typedescribed for cubing ice which controls the depth of its out by thepressure applied thereto during the cutting operation, there being meansprovided that assures the same pressure being applied to all the cuttingelements and the same depth of out throughout the entire area of theout.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of thistype for cutting ice that is simple, eflicient and inexpensive tomanufacture and operate so that the same may be used and operatedgenerally by those who cannot afford to invest in larger installationsand Whose daily requirements are not substantial but do require the useof cubed ice.

Other objects and advantages of theinvention will be apparent from thefollowing detail descri tion taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings which form a part hereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of ice cutting tool embodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same illustrating it in use;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the device;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional View of a modified form of cuttingelement that may be used to facilitate the vertical cutting action;

Fig. 7 is a top plan View of a modified form of ice cutting toolembodying the present invention;

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of the same;

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a further modified form of ice cutting tool embodying theinvention; and

Fig. 11 is an end view of the same.

As illustrated in the drawings, the invention comprises a hand toolhaving a plurality of U- shaped cutting elements 5 adapted to bearranged in a row so that their cross legs 6 are at the bottom and theirparallel legs 1 and 8 extend upwardly in order to be secured to suitable551 mounting means for the parts to form a unitary structure.

The mounting means comprises a plate 9 secured to inlet and outletconnections I9 and II. In the construction illustrated, inlet connectionI and outlet connection Il may be welded, brazed or suitably soldered atI2 to plate 9 along its longitudinal edges. If so desired, a secondmounting plate I3 may be positioned below plate 9 and between legs I and8. Plate I3 may be provided with vertical side flanges I4 that arepositioned parallel to legs I and 8 of cutting members 5. The distancebetween plate I3 and cross legs 6 of the cutting members may determinethe depth of the out of cutting members 5 when pressed downwardly upon acake of ice as illustrated in Fig. 2. Plate I3 further serves to carry apair of guide members I5 that will contact the upper surface of theblock of ice and facilitate lateral movement of cutting members 5 whenpulled sidewise by a handle I6. Flanges I4 provide means for rigidlysecuring the upper portion of vertical legs I and 8 to plate I3. Anysuitable type of connection may be used. I find that a good connectionmay be made either by welding, brazing or soldering, as indicated at H.

Although certain features and details of construction of the deviceherein disclosed lend themselves to a device employing electrical heatedcutting elements, the drawings illustrate a construction employing afiuid'heating medium which may be hot water or steam (superheated ifdesired). Consequently, cutting elements 5 are disclosed as U-shapedpipes in communication with inlet and outlet connections I9 and II.These connections may be short tubular sections carrying handle I6 andhaving at one end nipples I8 or other equivalent members that admit ofeasy and rapid connection to a source of heated fluid supply. The otherend of inlet and outlet connections In and II may be closed, asindicated at I9.

Cutting elements 5 are in the form of thinwalled tubes or pipes of smalldiameter through which the heated fiuid readily flows. The thinwalledtubes will allow rapid heat transfer and, hence, an efiicient and rapidcutting action. Inlet and outlet connections I0 and II are preferably oflarger diameter than cutting elements 5.

They may be of a diameter permitting of a rapid and uniform flow ofheating medium through each cutting element 5. These inlet and outletconnections I0 and II are drilled to form small openings into which theupper ends of vertical legs I and 8 of cutting elements 5 are inserted.

Soldered connections Il may be extended sulficiently to permit thesolder to flow around each leg I and 8, as illustrated in Fig. 4, andextend upwardly about tubes I9 and II to form a sealed mechanical jointbetween connections i0 and II and the upper ends of vertical legs I and8 of cutting elements 5. It will be noted that the second plate I3 belowplate 9 advantageously provides wall surface at the upper ends ofvertical legs I and 8 that will form afoundation for building up sealedconnections II, so that all of the parts of the tool, herein disclosed,may be assembled in a simple and inexpensive manner into a strong rigidstructure.

A knob 20 is secured to plate 9 and in a position with respect to thisplate 9 to distribute pressure applied thereto uniformly and aid cuttingelements 5 in entering a block of ice. The heat of cutting elements 5will melt the ice. Consequently, cutting elements 5 will cut into theice until guides I5 engage the upper surface of the ice block. The depthof the out is thereby controlled so that, when handle I6 pulls cuttingelements 5 laterally, uniform cubes of ice will be formed. It is onlynecessary for handle I6 to be pulled laterally a distance equal to thespace between cutting elements 5.

One of the features of the present invention resides in the shape ofcutting elements 5 whereby a structure may be provided limitin the depthof the cut and thereby assuring that uniform cubes will be produced. Byproviding knob 29 in addition to handle I6, cutting elements 5 may beuniformly guided in their downward cutting action to assure that thedepth of the cut will he the same for all elements. By applying adownward pressure at knob 29, the speed of cutting action is increasedand the use of the tool greatly facilitated. Both hands of the operatormay be used, as illustrated in Fig. 2. In this figure, line 2Irepresents the lateral cut effected by cross legs 6 of cutting elements5 when handle I6 is pulled laterally. When a uniform downward cut isobtained by all cutting elements, as illustrated by line 2 I, and thishandle I6 is pulled laterally, the horizontal cut made'leaves the top ofthe ice block with a smooth and true horizontal upper surface to permita second layer of uniform cubes to be cut, and so on. Hence, it isimpossible to deshape the ice block when cutting one or more layers ofcubes therefrom so that uniform cubes will be produced when cutting thenext layer from the ice block.

The invention is not limited to cutting elements producing a single rowof ice cubes. Figs. '7 to 9, inclusive, illustrate an alternativeembodiment of the invention which is adapted to produce two rows ofcubes by a single out. In this embodiment, inlet connection 25 andoutlet connection 21 are disposed along the longitudinal sides of a topplate 26 and are secured to the same by brazing, welding, soldering, orthe like. Each cutting element 28 is formed out of a U- shaped tube orpipe having a lower horizontal leg 29 and two vertical legs 38 and 3|. Apipe '32 lies between these Vertical legs 39 and 3I and extends frominlet connection 25 to lower horizontal leg 29. Leg 29 may be drilled toprovide a suitable opening to receive the lower end of pipe 32.Likewise, inlet connection 25 may be provided with an opening to receivethe upper end of pipe 32. may be provided, as indicated at 33. Also,outlet connections 2! may be provided with openings that receive theupper ends of vertical legs 30 and SI, and a suitable seal may beformed, as indicated at 34.

The heated fluid flows from inlet pipe 25 through intermediate pipe 32and outwardly in opposite directions through cross leg 29 to verticalpipes 39 and 3|. Thus, a. relatively uniform flow of heated fluid willbe obtained. It is desirable to provide inlet pipe 25 of greatercapacity than each outlet connection 27. One end of inlet connection 25may extend a short distance beyond the first cutting element, asindicated by dotted lines in Fig. 8, to receive a handle 35. A nipple orlike connection 36 may be formed at this end of inlet pipe 25 so as toreadily receive a pipe 31 leading to a suitable source of heated fluidsupply. A valve 38 may be inserted in this end of inlet pipe 25 so thata valve handle 39 may extend rearwardly and ad- Any suitable form ofsealed joint of the. flow of the heating medium through the cuttingelements 28 each time they are placed upon a block of ice and pressedthereinto by pressure. applied to a knob 40, as indicated in Fig. 8, theblock of ice being designated 45. The depth of the out may be limited bymembers ll and 42 that may be conveniently formed as a V with the apexprojecting downwardly between the vertical legs 3! and 32, and withtheir side edges extending upwardly to lie between or adjacent themeeting line or top plate 26 and the inlet and outlet connections 25 and27, as illustrated in 39. The parts may be joined along this line eitherby brazing, welding or soldering, as indicated at 44.

By referring to Figs. 10 and 11, it will be observed that the capacityof the device disclosed may be further increased in a simple andeffective manner without appreciable increase in cost of manufacture.The principle of construction and operation advantageously permitsdifferent capacity devices to be readily built and used and the sameadvantages and results obtained. In this modified form, flow of theheated fluid medium through inlet connection 50 is likewise controlledby a valve (similar to valve 38) disposed adjacent handle 52, whichinlet connection is divided by a cross branch 53 communicating withpipes 54 and 55. The opposite ends of pipes 5 1 and 55 are closed at 56.At spaced points intermediate their ends, pipes 54 and 55 receive theupper ends of two rows of vertical cutting pipes 51 and 58 (see Fig. 11)The lower ends of vertical cutting pipes 57 and 58 connect to lowercross cutting pipes 59, which at the outer ends are turned upwardly toform two outer rows of vertical cutting pipes 60 and 6!. Between rows 51and 58 is another row of cutting pipes 62. The upper ends of the pipesof rows 60, BI and 62 are in fluid communication with a series of outletpipes 63, 64 and 65, which are closed at the far ends as indicated at65, and are in communication with each other at their opposite ends by acommon cross connection 61. Heated fluid, the flow of which iscontrolled at handle 52 by valve 5|, passes through inlet pipes 54 and55, and then downwardly through pipes of both rows 5"! and 58. The fluidturns at right angles in both directions at the bottom of these pipesand flows through pipes 59. The fluid then returns upwardly throughpipes 65, 6| and 52, and through cross connection 5'! to theoutlet endterminating as a nipple 10, or the like. It will be remembered that thevarious parts described, such as the various vertical and horizontalcutting pipes, may be connected to each other and to the inlet andoutlet headers in any suitable way. The only requisites are a fluid sealand a strong mechanical joint at the points of connection. Brazing,welding or soldering are suggested. This is true for any of the forms ofinvention herein disclosed.

It is true that simplicity of construction and cheapness of manufactureare also factors to be considered, but a substantially rugged mechanicalstructure is desirable due to the use to which the device will be put.

In the form shown in Figs. and 11, the inlet and outlet headers 58 and55, and 63 to 65, inclusive, are rigidly connected in a unit in properspaced relation by a plate 66 or any equivalent member, while thevarious rows of vertical cutting elements 51, 58, 60, BI and 62 have Vmembers 6'! mounted therebetween with their apices 58v pointeddownwardly to limit the depth of the cut when pressure is applied upon aknob 69. Thus, cubes or smaller pieces of ice of uniform dimension arecut, it being kept in mind that the height of the cube cut will becontrolled by the distance between apices 68 and horizontal cuttingelements 59 and the width and depth will be controlled by the spacing ofthe vertical cutting elements. Hence, a device may be constructed to cutpieces of predetermined dimensions and even predetermined shapes. I donot intend to limit the final product to pieces that are exactly cubicaland do not intend that the term cubing, as used herein, shall beinterpreted to mean only a final product of cubes. I,

it will be obvious that the invention is directed to certain novelfeatures that may be advantageously employed in an ice cubing devicedesigned for use as a hand tool so that cubes may be readily producedthat are all of uniform size, thereby not only having the benefits ofsuch uniformity in the cubes cut, but also maintaining thereby auniformly shaped block of ice as it is being reduced into smaller piecesso as to prevent any resultant irregularity in subsequent cuttingoperations. I consider it important that each cutting operation will be.uniform so that the shape of the ice block will not be graduallydestroyed to prevent subsequent uniform cuttings.

I do not desire to be limited to the exact shape of the cutting elementsas long as they are formed to permit the depth of their out beingcontrolled. Nor do I intend being limited to the exact head constructionthat I have shown for carrying these cutting elements or to the exactmethod disclosed of connecting the cutting elements, either to the inletand outlet connections or to the parts forming the head construction.

It will be noted that providing the handle in substantially the sameplane as this head construction and above the cutting area of thecutting elements permits the device to be easily gripped and accuratelyused with little effort by the operator. A uniform cut will always beassured. 4

The cutting elements may be made of any desirable cross section. Theymay be circular in cross section, as shown particularly in Figs. 4 and5, or they may be slightly oval in cross section, as shown in Fig. 6, inorder to facilitate the downward cutting action if the major axis isvertical, or to facilitate the lateral cutting action if the major axisis horizontal.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain thegist of my invention that others may, by applying current knowledge,readily adapt the same for use under varying conditions of service,without eliminating certain features, which may properly be said toconstitute the essential items of novelty involved, which items areintended to be defined and secured to me by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A hand tool for cutting a block of ice into small pieces comprising aplurality of U-shaped pipes for conducting a heating mediumtherethrough, said U-shaped pipes being arranged in predetermined spacedrelation, inlet and outlet connections for said pipes, means forsecuring said pipes and said connections together to form nected, andmeans for limiting the depth said U-shaped pipes may enter a block ofice when cutting thereinto whereby to produce therefrom small pieces ofpredetermined size and shape.

3. A tool for cutting a block of ice into small pieces comprising aplurality of U-shaped pipes for conducting a heating mediumtherethrough, said U-shaped pipes being arranged in predetermined spacedrelation, inlet and outlet connections to which said U-shaped pipes areconnected, and means secured to said U-shaped pipes and said inlet andoutlet connections for distributing a pressure applied upon the tooluniformly to all of said U-shaped pipes and for limiting the depth ofcut of the same in a block of ice.

4. A tool for cutting a block of ice into small pieces comprising aplurality of heated U-shaped cutting elements, means for positioningsaid U-shaped cutting elements in a predetermined spaced relation, meansfor applying substantially the same downward pressure upon all saidU-shaped cutting elements, and means for limiting the depth of cut ofthe same in a block of ice.

5. A tool for cutting a block of ice into small pieces comprising aplurality of heated U-shaped cutting elements, means for positioningsaid U-shaped cutting elements in a predetermined spaced relation, meansfor applying substantially the same pressure upon all said U-shapedcutting elements to effect a substantially uniform downward cut of thesame in a block of ice, and a handle for moving said U-shaped cuttingelements laterally through the block.

6. A tool for cutting a block of ice into small pieces comprising aplurality of heated U-shaped cutting elements, means for positioningsaid U-shaped cutting elements in a predetermined spaced relation, theupper ends of the parallel legs of each U-shaped cutting element beingsecured to said means whereby all said cutting elements are connected toform a rigid unitary structure, means for limiting the depth of thedownward cut of said cutting elements into a block of ice, and a handlepositioned above said cutting elements and extending outwardly therefromfor moving said cutting elements laterallyv through said block.

'7. A tool for cutting a block of ice into small pieces comprising aplurality of heated U-shaped pipes arranged in predetermined spacedrelation, a head to which the upper ends of said U-shaped pipes areconnected, said head including a source of heat supply for said U-shapedpipes, manual gripping means for applying downward pressure upon saidhead and said U-shaped pipes, said head limiting the downward cut ofsaid U-shaped pipes, and a handle extending outwardly from said head formoving said U-shaped pipes laterally after said downward cutting.

8. A tool for cutting a block of ice into small pieces comprising aplurality of heated U-shaped pipes arranged in predetermined spacedrelation, in inlet connection in communication with the upper ends ofthe vertical legs along one side of the row of said U-shaped pipes, anoutlet connection for the upper ends of the vertical legs along theother side of the row of said U-shaped pipes, means for securing saidinlet and outlet connections together, connectionsfor attaching saidinlet and outlet connections to a source of heat supply, and meansdisposed between said vertical legs to define the cutting depth of thelower horizontal cross leg of each U-shaped pipe, said means beingsecured between said vertical legs a predetermined distance above saidlower horizontal cross legs.

9. A tool for cutting a block of ice into small pieces comprising aplurality of cutting elements, each having a plurality of Vertical legsand a connecting horizontal lower leg, means for arranging said cuttingelements in predetermined spaced relation, and means for limiting thedownward cut of said horizontal lower legs into a piece of ice wherebyall said horizontal lower legs enter the ice substantially the samedistance.

10. A tool for cutting a block of ice into small pieces comprising aplurality of cutting elements, each having a plurality of vertical legsand a connecting horizontal lower leg, means for arranging said cuttingelements in predetermined spaced relation, means for applying a downwardpressure upon said cutting elements, means for limiting the downward outof said horizontal lower legs into a block of ice whereby all saidhorizontal lower legs enter the block substantially the same distance,and means for moving said vertical legs and horizontal legs laterallyafter said downward cut whereby to sever the portion penetrated by saidcutting elements into small pieces of predetermined size.

11. A tool for cutting a block of ice into small pieces comprising aplurality of cutting elements, each having vertical legs and ahorizontal leg, means for conducting a heat supply downwardly throughcertain of said vertical legs of said cutting elements, means forconnecting said certain vertical legs to said horizontal legs to causethe heat supply to travel through said horizontal legs, the othervertical legs being connected to said horizontal legs of said cuttingelements to cause the heat supply to travel upwardly through the same,means for limiting the downward cut of said horizontal legs when pressedagainst a cake of ice, and means for moving all said legs laterally inthe cake of ice after the downward cutting is completed.

12. A tool for cutting a block of ice into small pieces comprising apair of horizontal pipes connected in series having a handle at one end,means connecting together said pair of horizontal pipes to secure thesame into a rigid unit throughout substantially the greater portion oftheir length, means for connecting a source of heated fluid supply toone of said pair of horizontal pipes, and a plurality of downwardlyprojecting ueshaped cutting pipes in fluid communication with said pairof horizontal pipes.

13. A tool for cutting a block of ice into small pieces comprising apair of horizontal pipes connected in series having a handle at one end,means connecting together said pair of horizontal pipes to secure thesame into a rigid unit throughout substantially the greater portion oftheir length, means for connecting a source of heated fluid supply toone of said pair of horizontal pipes, a plurality of downwardlyprojecting U-shaped cutting pipes in fluid communication with said pairof horizontal pipes, and a valve adjacent said handle arranged to beoperated to control the flow of the heated fluid through said horizontalpipes and said U-shaped cutting pipes when they move downwardly and thenlaterally through a block of ice.

14. A tool for cutting a block of ice into small pieces comprising apair of horizontal pipes having a handle at one end, means connectingtogether said pair of horizontal pipes to secure the same into a rigidunit throughout substantially the greater portion of their length, meansfor connecting a source of heated fluid supply to said pair ofhorizontal pipes, a plurality of downwardly projecting U-shaped cuttingpipes in fluid communication with said pair of horizontal pipes, meansfor applying a downward pressure upon said U-shaped cutting elements,and a valve adjacent said handle arranged to be operated at the timesaid last means and said handle are gripped whereby to control the flowof said heated fluid supply as said cutting elements are presseddownwardly into a block of ice by said last means and are then movedlaterally through the block of ice by said handle.

15. Ice cutting equipment for slicing a layer of cubes from a block ofice comprising a. base, a plurality of heated cutting elements supportedby said base, means for limiting the depth of the cut of said cuttingelements to a distance equal to the thickness of the layer to be cutfrom said block, said cutting elements and said block being thereaftermovable relative to each other in a direction that is transverse to thefirst cut, said means engaging the outer surface of said block to efiectcutting of a uniform layer of cubes from said block by said lastmovement.

16. Ice cutting equipment for slicing a layer of cubes from a block ofice comprising a base,

a cutting grid including a plurality of pipes through which a heatingmedium flows, there being means upon said base for mounting said cuttinggrid thereon so that relative movement between said pipes and the blockof ice in two difierent directions will effect two separate cuttingoperations, connections for supplying said heating medium to said pipes,and means also carried by said base to engage the outer surface of theblock of ice for limiting the extent said pipes enter the block of iceupon the first cutting operation, said last means continuing to engagethe outer face of the block during the second cutting operation to limitthe layer out therefrom to a predetermined depth.

17. Ice cutting equipment for slicing a layer of small pieces from ablock of ice comprising a frame member, headers secured to said framemember, connections for supplying a heating medium to said headers, aplurality of cutting pipes communicating with said headers and throughwhich said heating medium flows, said cutting pipes being so supportedby said frame member that relative movement between said cutting pipesand a block of ice eifects a first cutting operation by said pipes, andmeans for limiting said first cutting operation to a uniform depth, saidmeans extending substantially lengthwise of said grid so that the outerface of the block will engage said means whereby subsequent relativemovement between said cutting pipes and the block in a directiontransverse to the first movement but along said means will effect asecond cutting operation slicing a layer of small pieces from said blockof a thickness equal to the depth of the first cutting operation.

WILLIAM CARL PFEIL.

